January 10, 2012, (Los Angeles, CA) Goodie Girls are preparing to host their second benefit with Home Baked Beanies, most popular for their “Scented Cupcake Beanie”. This event will take place on Thursday January 19, 2012 from 1-4pm at Goodie Girls (415 E. Broadway #100, Glendale, CA) and will benefit Reading, Writing, It’s Exciting. Guests can expect to be treated to cupcake samples, discounted cupcakes and Home Baked Beanies all to benefit Reading, Writing, It’s Exciting.

Annette Starbuck, the multi-Award Winning Founder of GOODIE GIRLS exuberates a joyous passion for creating a variety of baked delights through her valiant curiosity and enchanting talent. Even more remarkable, aside from countless independent Instructional Culinary Sessions, Annette has never actually enrolled into any institutional Culinary Programs or attended Culinary School, but she’s achieved acclaimed success only through her seasoned personal experience and pure creative determination. “Baking is a passion of mine and I create every cupcake with all my heart and soul. Whether for a small occasion of getting together with Friends, BBQ’s, Showers or a big event for Charities, Weddings, or Banquets I craft each batch as I was feeding my own family – it’s who I am at the core. I am lucky to have my whole family with me on this adventure including my rock star husband Anthony, my amazing father Doug and last but definitely the most influential, my step mom Stephanie. Together we Rock the Cupcake World!”

HOME BAKED BEANIES are the first smelly hat company. The owner and creator of this new sweet idea is Tracey Scott, as well as the whole family that contributes to the designs. Smelly or not, the styles are totally unique like their cupcakes hats that smell like cupcakes as well as the hand tie rag hats, vintage shabby chic, every color, every style, and every size. They invite everyone to stop and “smell the hats“. Fans of these unique beanies can find their own Home Baked Beanie to match their personality/style at several locations including: Big Bear, CA, San Diego, CA, Los Angeles (Select boutiques), Trunk shows, holiday events and red carpet events.

READING, WRITING, IT’S EXCITING (RWE) is a nonprofit literacy program designed to improve the reading and writing skills of at-risk children. They do this by providing one-to-one writing mentors throughout the school year for kids who are chosen by their teachers to participate. The reason for RWE’s program is that research shows that if children aren’t writing and reading at their grade level by the end of second grade, they almost never catch up. Further research has also shown that as many as 80% of those kids eventually drop out of high school, are unemployed, are in prison or join gangs. And how accurate are those numbers? Several states actually base their future prison building plans on them! There are over 45,000 second grade students in L.A., and only 41% of them are proficient in writing and reading. Their goal is to help all of them… For more information about RWE, please visit: www.rweprogram.org.

Giuliana Rancic is ready to say goodbye to the past and hello to her future. The “E! News” host, who recently underwent a double mastectomy, is set to join her husband, Bill Rancic, in New York’s Times Square on New Year’s Eve to usher in 2012.

“This has been a very difficult year for them. But they agreed months ago to host the Nivea ‘Kiss of a Lifetime’ contest, where America’s most deserving couple will join them in Times Square on New Year’s Eve for the year’s most spectacular kiss, and that’s exactly what they intend to do,” a friend of the couple tells me. “Of course, after Giuliana’s surgery they discussed moving forward with the event, and have decided there is nowhere they would rather be than standing strong and in love together to ring in the New Year.”

Giuliana, who will announce the Nivea contest winners on NBC’s New Year’s Eve telecast, has thanked fans for their prayers as she recovers from her surgery.

“My big surgery was exactly one week ago today (December 13),” she tweeted. “I’m recovering better than I had hoped thanks in big part to your prayers & love.”

Giuliana returned to work at E! after Christmas, receiving a warm welcome.

“Back at work today since surgery. Excited to be on set of @ENews. I’ve missed my 2nd family (co-workers and you guys!!!) #thankful,” she tweeted on Dec. 27.

The couple appeared on the “Today Show” Friday to give fans an update on Giuliana’s recovery, and Bill couldn’t have spoken more highly of his wife.

“She wanted to turn a negative into a positive. If you can save one life through this process, it’s worth it,” he said.

And even with more than 2 million Twitter followers, Giuliana won’t find a bigger fan than Bill.

“He has been by her side the entire time and won’t be leaving any time soon,” a friend tells me. “If Nivea is looking for the most deserving couple to kiss live in Times Square, they have found them. The ‘Kiss of a Lifetime’ will be between Giuliana and Bill.”